What Have You
Done For Me Lately?
BY DEBBIE RUPP
Vice-President For Organizational Development
South Brunswick Islands Chamber Of Commerce
This is the last week South Brunswick Islands Chamber of Com
merce members can renew their 1994-95 membership investment. Oct.
31 was the deadline to renew membership or join the chamber and still
be listed in the 1995 Visitor and Business Guide published and distrib
uted by the SBI Chamber. If you have not yet re
newed your membership, you've most likely been
contacted by a board member to encourage you to
do so.
Some of the businesses we contacted told us
they plan to renew but just haven't written the
check yet. Others are still undecided, and a few
don't plan to continue their membership. It is to the
undecided and non-renewing few that this column is
directed. The rest of you can join us and just keep
nodding your head in agreement as you read on.
The most common reason we get for non-re- RUPP
newal is "I can't see any direct benefit from my chamber membership."
Most businesses who choose not to renew their chamber membership or
do not join the chamber of commerce have never been to a chamber
function, volunteered for an event or participated in any program spon
sored by the chamber. They can't know the value to their own business
that comes from networking with other chamber members at committee
meetings. Business After Hours or Business Breakfasts.
1 can think of at least three new businesses I spent money with in the
last few months thai I met through a chamber program. Today, I'll be
going to the grand opening of What's the Scoop, a chamber member
who just opened a neiv store on Main Street in Shallotte. You can bet
I'll be spending money there too. We have several fellow chamber
members in our practice and get new patients each month through their
referrals. Those are direct benefits we can see.
Often, when we ask what the chamber can do that is not getting
done, the response we get is the business owner is not really sure what
the chamber should be doing. Our mission is to promote and implement
a more profitable community in terms of economic, social and civic
progress. Through the efforts of the SBI Chamber of Commerce, busi
nesses and individuals are encouraged to visit, live and work in our
area.
We have responded to more than 15,000 direct inquiries about the
South Brunswick Islands already this year in addition to the thousands
of people we contact at travel shows and welcome centers throughout
the state. When we attract people to visit our community, they spend
money here, and that money goes directly into your drawer and pays
other local employers and employees who spend money with you.
Many of those visitors become part- or full-time residents, also adding
to our income.
Some decide to move their businesses here to enjoy a higher quality
of life while earning their way. They too generate new income and con
tribute to the economic growth of the area.
The chamber also sponsors events that continue to promote our
economy during the non-tourism season. The South Brunswick Islands
King Classic and N.C. Oyster Festival keep new dollars flowing into
our community in September and October. Hometown Holidays in
November and December promotes spending within the South
Brunswick Islands by encouraging holiday shopping at local chamber
businesses. Topics presented at the quarterly Business Breakfasts,
Career Day at the middle and high schools and the legislative and health
care forums all focus on social, civic and economic improvement.
Our job, as your chamber of commerce, is to promote and imple
ment positive growth of the South Brunswick Islands and your business.
That's what we've done for you lately.
We always encourage new ideas to help us do our job better and
hope that you will share yours with us. Please call or write us at 754
6644/800-426-6644, P.O." Box 1380,"ShalIotteNC 28459.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Tatum Joins Beacon Staff
has joined The
Brunswick
Beacon staff as
an advertising
sales representa
tive.
Tatum is a
1991 graduate of
Kansas State
University and
earned her de
gree in journal
ism.
She lives in Shallotte and was
previously employed by United
Carolina Bank.
Three Attend Seminar
Sharon Bryan, Debbie Smith and
Tripp Sloane of Sloane Realty,
Ocean Isle Beach, have completed
an intensive professional develop
ment seminar conducted by an inter
national trade association.
The Vacation Rental Managers
Association (VRMA) sponsored the
series of professional development
sessions focusing on management,
employee development, budgeting,
marketing, operational efficiency
and new industry products and ser
vices. It was conducted in San
Diego, Calif.
Sloane Realty is a member of
VRMA, a trade association for the
vacation rental industry.
Anne Tatum
Great Rates Are
As Easy AsUCB.
24 to 35 month CD
36 to 59 month CD
6.00% 6.25
%
Annual Percentage
Yield (APY)
Annual Percentage
Yield (APY)
The minimum balance to obtain this APY is $1 ,000.
The Personal Touch. Easy As UCB.I carina
J ? BANIL
For additional rates and terms or for more information,
please visit any UCB office or call 754-4301.
Text tekj>hone for the hearing imjxiired, 1-800-876-6545.
This APY is accurate as of November I . I O'M Not available (or brokered deposits
A penally may be imposed lor early withdrawal
Mamber FOtC
Formula Paid Off For Shallotte Middle
With Improved Student Test Performance
BY SUSAN USHER
Planning + Hard Work + Persis
tence.
That's the formula for success
Shallottc Middle School Principal
Sandra Robinson uses to explain
students' gains on end-of-course
tests in reading and math taken in
the spring.
Like their peers across the state
Brunswick County students in
grades three through eight generally
showed greater gains on 1993-94
end-of-grade tests in reading and
math than had been predicted.
Shallotte Middle School's stu
dents did even better, exceeding the
state average in every area except
sixth grade math and showing gains
in every area except that. While the
sixth graders scored about four
points higher in math than they did
in fifth grade, they didn't score quite
as well as sixth graders did a year
earlier or as much as the state ex
pected.
Robinson said teachers at the
school committed last year to signif
icantly improving test scores and
made it happen by good planning,
hard work and "hanging in there un
til we got it done."
"The real key was remediation, ex
tended opportunities and parent in
volvement," said Robinson. "We also
took advantage of the new computer
equipment wereceived last year."
"We had a lot of parent confer
ences. We kept calling them in for
students who weren't doing as
well," said Robinson. "Kids whose
parents arc involved are the ones
who are successful. We have some
persistent teachers and I don't mind
helping them get the parents here."
Last year the math department re
vamped what it was teaching to bring
studiess in line with what the state
says should be taught; this year the
communications department is doing
the same thing, said Robinson.
Last year teachers offered enrich
ment classes to provide extra time
for writing, and after-school tutoring
in math to help students who needed
more time to master material and
keep up with their class.
From the school's new computer
system, teachers drew on "banks" of
sample test questions throughout the
year to find out if students were pro
gressing according to schedule and
to see what topics they might need
help in. - X
At most grade levels, Brunswick
County students as a whole achieved
gains greater than or equal to those
attained statewide. Still the county's
scores in reading and math are be
low the state average in all but one
instance, though scores at one or
more individual schools may be
higher.
County eighth graders' average
developmental scale score in reading
was 159.75, just above the state av
erage of 159.70. The average local
score was boosted by averages of
more than 160 at Waccamaw
Elementary and South Brunswick
Benefit Fish Fry
Planned At Church
A fish fry will be held to benefit
Kenny Roberts on Saturday, Nov. 5,
at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church of
Shallotte, on Main Street across
from Heilig-Meyers Furniture.
Plates will cost $4 each.
Middle schools.
While preliminary scores re
leased last week didn't indicate what
percentage of students scored at or
above grade level, that information
wi!! N* included on the school sys
tem's 1994 "report card" released in
January 1995.
Students are given the same profi
ciency tests in reading and math
each year from third through eighth
grades. As their knowledge and pro
ficiency increases their developmen
tal scale scores are expected to go
up every year, with the rate of
growth somewhat faster in the earli
er grades than in later grades.
Suzanne Triplett, assistant super
intendent for accountability services
in the state Department of Public
Instruction, said the average educa
tional growth in math proficiency
between third and fourth grades was
estimated to be about six points.
Instead, the gain statewide the gain
averaged 7.3 points.
In Brunswick County, fourth
grade students scored on average 7.7
points higher in math than they did
as third graders. They also scored
one and a half points higher than
fourth graders did in 1993, which
means fifth grade tcachcrr, should
have received students who were
slightly ahead of the students they
received the year before.
Teachers can use data from the
testing program to monitor their stu
dents' educational growth from
grade to grade, and to identify stu
dents' strengths and weaknesses.
Schools can also follow Shallotte
Middle School's example and use
the data to identify weaknesses and
improve their overall reading or
math programs. Robinson said the
math department is already design
ing changes to strengthen the teach
ing of geometry and to add chance
and probability to the curriculum
Overall the school faculty is fo
cusing on quality and consistency.
"If we do what we do well, it will
pay off, even if we don't get to the
end of the book." said Robinson.
Countywide, preliminary findings
by Testing Coordinator William
Detrie show that:
? Of schools in the West Bruns
wick attendance district. Supply Ele
mentary School made gains in three
of six categories; Union Elementary
in one of four categories and Wacca
maw Elementary in eight of 12 cate
gories, with a "category" being a
grade level and subject, either read
ing or math, such as sixth grade
math;
? Supply Elementary exceeded
the state average in iwu of six cate
gories, Waccamaw, in three of 13
categories and Union, in none of
four categories;
? End-of-grade reading scores
countywide increased in all but
grade six, which showed a three
tenths of a point decline;
? End-of-grade math scores
countywide increased in all but
grade three, which showed a little
over a one-half point decline.
FEDERAL TAX
CONSULTANT/REPRESENTATION
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233 Bretonshlre Rd.
Wilmington. NC 28405
(910)791-2695
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(910)287-4156 or 1-800-955-5128
TJs
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ALTERNATORS STARTERS
VOLTAGE REGULATORS GENERATORS
REPAIR? REBUILT? EXCHANGED
AUTOMOTIVE WIRING
754-7656
Royal Oak Road & Hwy 17 N . Shallotte
Holmes
Florist & Gifts
Of Shallotte
%
r\
w
me
Cordially inviTes you to our
Grand Re-Opening & Annual
Christmas Open House
Saturday, Nov. 5, 9 am-5 pm
Door Prizes ? Hors d'oeuvres
Beautiful Christmas Arrangements, Wreaths, Swags
& Garlands ? Crabtree & Evelyn Bath & Boay
^ Products ? Home Fragrances by Claire Burke
f& Fitz & Floyd ? Candles ? Collectibles ? Dollsl
Guardian Angels ? Flowers ? Music Boxes
Balloons ? Gourmet Baskets ? Chocolates
De-Alcoholized Wine ? Custom Gift Baskets
\
130 Blake Street
Across From
Shallotte Middle School
754-8432
f THE BRUNSWICK BEACON